Form retainer for shirts and method of mounting shirts thereon



June 8, 1943. J, w. KENNEDY EON FORM RETAINER FOR SHIRTS AND METHOD OF MOUNTING SHIRTS THER Filed May 25, l942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8, 1943. J. w. KENNEDY 2,321,147

FORM RETAINER FOR SHIRTS AND METHOD OF MOUNTING SHIRTS THEREON Filed May 25, 1942 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 8, 1943 UNITED srrss FORM RETAINER FOR SHIRTS AND METHOD OF MOUNTING SHIRTS THEREON John W. Kennedy, Troy, N. Y., assignor to Cluett, Peabody & (30., Inc.,Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 25, 1942, Serial No. 444,455

10 Claims. (Cl. 223-71) This invention pertains to apparel apparatus and more particularly to a form retainer or board upon which a laundered and folded shirt may be mounted so as to prevent it from being wrinkled or otherwise undesirably disarranged during transit or in handling.

The shirt-buying public expects that mens shirts will be so displayed for sale as to show the entire bosom; substantially the entire length of the buttonhole strip or front pleat; substantially all of the buttons; substantial portions of the condition and properly restrained to prevent ac-.

cidental folding or wrinkling, and in general having the clean, crisp appearance of a new shirt as received from the maker.

Various systems of folding shirts have heretofore been devised and various means for retaining new or laundered shirts in the desired folded and unwrinkled condition have previously been .employed. While some of such prior systems and retaining means have accomplished the desired object, most such systems require the use of pins,

or the like, and, inaddition, a piece of cardboard about which the shirt is folded, in order to maintain the shirt in its folded condition prior to use. Some such systems require a very substantial number of pins, for instance ten or more. Not only is the insertion of so many pinsv (at the proper point and so that they will be substantially concealed) a time-consuming, skilled and expensive operation, but the removal of so many, usually invisible, pins is very annoying to the user. Moreover, at the present time, when the use of metal for non essential purposes is restricted, it is difiicult for the shirt maker or laundry to obtain the necessary quantity of pins for such use.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel system of folding new and laundered shirts and novel means for adequately supporting and maintaining the folded shirt in proper condition during transit and while on display or when being handled, and which makes the use of pins or similar fastening means wholly unnecessary.

A further object is to provide a novel system of folding and novel retaining means such that the operation of folding the shirt is facilitated, made less expensive and requires less skill than pre-' 15 The trade demands that the shirt be vious systems, while at the same time making it easy for the user to free the shirt from its supporting means preparatory to use.

A further object is to provide form-retaining means for a folded shirt which may be made of relatively cheap material, which does not comprise metallic parts or necessitate the employment of metallic fasteners or the like for holding the shirt thereon, and which may be made cheaply and by the use of ordinary and available machinery.

With the above objects in View the invention contemplates the employment of a shirt board or form-retainer of cardboard or the like, so devised that when the shirt is properly folded about it, the shirt will be maintained in. its folded condition by the action of the form retainer alone and without recourse to pins or similar fasteners.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, showing a shirt folded and mounted upon the improved form-retaining appliance of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the shirt shown in i 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation to smaller scale of a piece of sheet material (partly broken away) properly shaped, incised and scored to constitute the body portion of the form retainer of the present invention; 1

Fig. 3 is a perspective view partly broken away, showing the body portion of the form retainer ready for use;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a retaining bar designed for assembly with the part shown in Fig. 3 and to constitute an element of the complete form retainer when the latter has been assembled with the shirt;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the form-retaining board disposed in position to have the shirt folded about it and showing the shirt in partly folded condition; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing a later stage in the folding of the shirt, the retaining bar of Fig. 4 being shown in its initial position.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 3, 3 and 4, the body portion 1 of the form retainer consists of a substantially rectangular piece of sheet material, for example cardboard, having the upper and lower edges 2 and 3 respectively and the lateral edges 4 and 5. The width of this substantially rectangular piece of material, between the edges 4 and 5, may approximate the width of a shirt bosom or at least the width of such portion of the shirt bosom as is exposed when the shirt is folded. A width of approximately eight or nine inches is suggested as desirable. The length of this rectangular piece of material is initially somewhat greater than the length of the shirt'bosom; for example, it may be o'fone-half inch, moreor less.

approximately two and one-half inches longer than the shirt bosom, it being understood that the dimensions herein suggested are merely by way of example and are not to be regarded as in any sense limiting the invention. If desired, elongate recesses I and 5 may be formed in the edges 4 and 5 respectively, to permit the purchaser of feel the material of the shirt.

Near the upper edge 2 of this piece of material there is formed an incision '6 passing through'the entire thickness of the material and substantially parallel to the edge 2, the incision being disposed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis M-N of the rectangular piece. If the entire width of the piece be of the order of eight inches,

the length of this incision 5 may, for example, approximate three inches. As above stated, the .incision Bis spacedfrom the edge 2 and the width of the strip 1 of material intervening between the'incisionB andthe edge Z'may be of the order From the opposite ends of the incision tytwo incisions '8 and 9, passing through the entire thickness of the material, extenddownwardly in converging relation and terminate .at the upper ends of two other parallel .incisions I and II disposed symmetri- .cally at opposite sides of the axis M-N and terminating atthe transversefold lines I2 and I3. Preferably V-shaped notches I2 .and li are formed at the outer ends of the fold lines l2 and I3 respectively to eliminate projecting corners when'theshirtis folded overthe board. These fold lines may be produced-by scoring, perforations, or the like, and are designed to facilitate folding thatportion of the rectangular piece which liesabove ithejfold lines downwardly into substantially parallelrelation to the lower or body porti0n=of the board. The several incisions define a collar-positioning tongue T whose upper portion is of more or less trapezoidal contour, widest at the incision 6,.the lowerpart H of the tongue being substantially rectangular. Preferably, a fold line 14 defines the upper edge of this rectangular p-ortionH of the tongue, such fold line being defined by scoring, perforations,- or the like, so arranged asto facilitate bending the tongue T forwardly as shown in Fig. 3 to facilitate its insertion between the neckband and .top of the shirt collar. The fold line It may be spaced above the fold lines 1 2 and I 3a distance of the order of five-eighths of an-inch,.for example,.the completed-tongue, as definedby the several incisions, having the upper edge 6 and the convergent lateral edges 8* and 9 The material at opposite sides of and above this tongue T forms what is herein referred to for identification as a tail-suspending and shoulder retainingflap, comprising the end portions R and the transverse portion 1, the latter integrally uniting thepart R.

Preferablya vertically elongate slit is formed in each end portion R of this shoulder-retaining flap. These slits I'and 88 are'here shown as substantially parallel to the edges 4 and 5, and may, for example, beof a-length of approximately one inch, andwith their-lower ends spaced a distance of the-order of three-eighths of an inch from the respective notches I2 and 13 equaling the width of the bodyportion'andof a vertical width of theorder of one inch, moreor less, depending-upon the stiffness of the material at the line- 32.

employed and constituting means for suspending the tail portion of the shirt from the flap R,'I,-R. Preferably one edge 29 of this bar is furnished with notches I8 and I9 respectively, which are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between slits I 5 and I6 above described.

In the use of this form retainer, the shirt is first laid bosom-down, (Fig. 5) after laundering, upon a suitable (preferably horizontal) support and the body portion of the form retainer is disposed upon the back of the shirt in substantial registry with the shirt bosom and with the fold lines I2 and I3 substantially in line with the shoulder portions of the shirt. The tongueT is bent forwardly along the fold line M and its upper edge 6* is inserted between the neck band and top of the collar 25 (Fig. 5) of the shirt. The shirt sleeves S are now folded upwardly, each along a fold line 28 adjacent to the elbow, and then the lateral portions 29 and 3B of the shirt body are successively folded along fold lines AB and CD respectively, said fold lines substantially coinciding with the lateral edges and 5 respectively of the body portion of the form retainer. The lateral portion 29 is first folded over, and then the lateral portion 30 is folded over so as to overlie a portion 29. Obviously it is immaterial whether the right or left lateral portion be folded inwardly first.

The shoulder-retaining flap, comprising the portions R and I may, if desired, be folded backwardly and downwardly along the fold lines I2 and I3 before the form retainer is placed upon the back of the shirt. If so first folded down, the shoulder portions 23 and 24 of the shirt are tucked beneath the parts R when folding in the lateral :portions of the shirt. If the shoulderretaining flap has not previously been turned down along the lines I2 and II3, the lateral Dortions of the shirt are folded in one over the other, and then the shoulder-retaining flap is folded down along the lines I2 and I3. In accordance with either procedure, the flap overlaps the rear surfaces of the shoulder portions of the shirt, thus retaining the upper parts of the lateral portions 29 and .39 in assembled relation and infolded position.

The tail portion of the shirt, indicated at X, (Fig. 6) is novr folded upwardly along a fold line 3| so as to overlie the lower parts of the lateral portions 29 or 38. Preferably, the fold line 3| is at a distance below the fold lines I2 and I3 of the form retainer which is substantially double the length of the shirt bosom. If desired, the bar Il may now be introduced into the tail-fold, with the notchededge 29 of the bar uppermost and with its opposite longitudinal edge within the fold 3| and with its opposite ends projecting beyond the side folds of the shirt body. The shirt body .is now folded upwardly again along the line 32 .so folded, the tail-fold line 3I very nearly registers with the fold lines I2 and I3 of the form retainer, although it may be slightly below said fold lines. If the bar I! has already been inserted within the tail-fold, the up-folding of the body portion along the line 32 reverses the position of bar I! so that its notched edge 25 is now its lower edge. If the bar I1 has not previously been inserted, it may be inserted in the tailfold after the shirt body has been .up-folded The projecting ends ofthe .bar I"! are now inserted in the slits I5 and I6 .of

shape. the collar in upright position, and since the the shoulder-retaining flap, andif the notches l8 and 19 are present, the bar H 'is slid downwardly slightly so as to interlock the notches l8 and IS with the material defining the lower ends of the slits I and I6. and H] are desirable, in order to prevent endwise slipping of the bar ll, they may be dispensed with if desired. Likewise, while the slits l5 and I6 constitute desirable and very simple means for removably securing the bar I! to the body of the form retainer so that the bar cannot move up or down to any substantial extent, it is contempla ed that other retaining means may be substituted if desired.

After the shirt has thus been folded and interlocked with the form retainer its tail portion is held suspended from the shoulder retaining flap by the bar 20, and the folded shirt may be handled without substantial danger of losing its The tongue T holds the rear portion of shoulder portions of the shirt are interposed between the flap (comprising the parts R and the part 1) and the retaining bar H, and since the retaining bar I! also holds the tail portion of the shirt in proper position, there is little danger that the shirt will become displaced during shipment or while on display in a retail store, or while in transit from the laundry to the user, and thus danger of wrinkling before use is substantially eliminated. While the collar positioning tongue T is desirable, it may be dispensed with if desired, as for example when the form retainer is intended for use with neckband or collarless shirts.

Since the completed retainer consists only of two pieces of sheet material such as cardboard and since these two pieces of material may be cut to proper shape by the use of ordinary machinery employed in cutting cardboard, and since the 1 operation of mounting the shirt on the retainer does not require the use of pins, or similar confining means which necessitate skill in applica tion, the operation of mounting the shirt in readiness for shipment or display is much simpler and cheaper than the usual procedures. No metal is employed in securing the shirt in position and the material employed in making the form retainer is cheap and ordinarily abundant.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has been disclosed by way of example it is to be understood that the invention is not to be considered as limited in scope to the precise details of construction here disclosed but is to be considered as broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A form retainer for laundered shirts comprising a body portion of substantially rectangular contour having an integral shoulder-retaining flap at its upper edge, said flap being normally parallel to and overlying the upper rear part of the body portion proper, the flap having apertures at its opposite ends, and a removable el0nate tail-suspending strip of stiff material overlying the rear surface of said flap and having its opposite ends disposed within the openings in the flap.

2. A form retainer for laundered shirts com-- prising a substantially rectangular piece of stiir sheet material of a width approximating that of the shirt bosom and of a length somewhat greater than that of the shirt bosom, said piece being folded backwardly along a line parallel to and While the notches I8 spaced from its lower edge a distance approximating the length of the shirt bosom thereby to provide a shoulder-retaining flap, said flap having an elongate slit adjacent to each of its lateral edges, and a removable tail-suspending bar of stiff sheet material having its opposite ends disposed respectively in said elongate slits, said bar being substantially parallel to the fold line and being disposed rearwardly of said flap.

. 3. A form retainer for folded shirts comprising a substantially rectangular piece of still sheet material of a width approximating that of a shirt bosom, said piece of material being folded along a transverse line to provide a shoulder-retaining flap, the length of the piece of material between its lower edge and the fold line approximating the length of the shirt bosom, the flap having an elongate slot adjacent to each of its lateral edges, and a retaining bar of stiffsheet material having its opposite ends disposed respectively in said slots, said retaining bar having a notch in its lower edge adjacent to each of its ends, the notches interlocking with the material which defines the lower end of each of the respective slots thereby to prevent longitudinal movement of the bar.

4. A form retainer for folded shirts comprising a piece of sheet material of generally rectangular contour and of a width approximating the width of the bosom of a shirt, said form retainer having an incision extending parallel to and spaced inwardly a distance the order of one-half inch'from its upper edge, said incision being symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis of the board and of a length which is of the order of three-eighths of the width of the board, said incision being terminated by two downwardly converging incisions whose lower ends coincide with the upper ends respectively of a pair of parallel incisions whose lower ends are'at a distance, from the top edge of the form retainer, of approximately one-fourth of the width of the form retainer, the form retainer having fold lines extending from its lateral edges inwardly to the lower ends of said parallel incisions respectively, the incisions defining a collar-positioning tongue and the material which borders the tongue and above said fold lines constituting a shoulder-retaining flap, the outer ends of said flap having therein slits spaced inwardly from and parallel to the lateral edges of the form retainer, and a removable tail-suspending bar of stiff material having its opposite ends normally disposed within the respective slits in said shouldear-retaining flap.

5. In combination, a laundered shirt and a form-retainer therefor, said retainer comprising a flat, substantially rectangular piece of cardboard about whose lower and lateral edges the shirt is folded, the cardboard being in registry with the shirt bosom but contacting the back of the shirt, the lateral portions of the shirt body being folded over so as substantially to conceal the cardboard, a shoulder-retaining flap united at its upper edge to said piece of cardboard and overlapping the shoulder portions of the lIl-fOldBd lateral parts of the shirt body, the tail of the shirt being transversely folded, and the body of the shirt being folded upwardly so that the tail-fold lies directly to the rear of the shoulder-retaining flap, and a bar of stiff material'within the tailfold and having its opposite ends removably sea body portion consisting of a flat, substantially rectangular piece of stiff sheet material disposed substantially in-registry with the shirt bosom but contacting the back of the shirt, said retainer comprising an upwardly and forwardly directed tongue which is interposed between the neckband and the top of the shirt collar, the lateral parts of the shirtbody being folded inwardly about the lateral edges respectively of the body portion of the retainer, one lateral, in-folded part overlapping the other, said overlappingparts substantially concealing the body portion of the retainer, the retainer comprising a shoulder-retaining flap whose upper edge is united to the body of the retainer and which overlaps the shoulder portions of the in-folded lateral parts of the shirt, the tail of the shirt being transversely folded and the body of the shirt being folded upwardly along a fold line substantially coincident with the lower edge of the body portion of the retainer so that the tail-fold lies to the rear of the shoulder-retaining flap, and an elongate strip of stiff sheet material disposed within the tail-fold and-having its opposite ends removably interlocked with apertures in the opposite ends of the shoulderretaining flap.

"7. That method of mounting a shirt upon a form-retainer which comprises as steps spread ng the shirt bosom-down upon a suitable support, providing a generally rectangular form retainer of sheet material of a width and length approximating those of the shirt bosom, disposing said form retainer upon the back of the shirt so that its upper edge is substantially parallel with and adjacent to the shoulder line of the shirt, folding each shirt sleeve upwardly upon itself, folding the lateral part of the shirt body inwardly, each about one longitudinal edge of the form retainer and so that one lateral part overlaps the other,

folding the tail portion upwardly about a transverse fold line spaced below, the upper edge of the bosom a distance substantially double the length of the bosom, bending the upper portion of the form retainer downwardly and rearwardli over the inwardly folded lateral parts of the shirt body so that its respective corner portions overlap the rear surfaces of the shoulder portions, folding the shirt upwardly substantially about the lower edge of the form retainer so that the tail-fold line lies to the rear of said downwardly bent portion of the form retainer, and releasably anchorin 'the shirt at said tail-fold line to the bent-down portions of the form retainer, thereby to keep the shirt in properly folded position.

8. That method of mounting a shirt upon a form-retainer which comprises as steps spreading the shirt bosom-down upon a suitable support, providing a form retainer of sheet material of a width and length approximating those of the shirt bosom, disposing. said form retainer upon the back of the shirt so that its upper edge is adjacent to the shoulder line of the shirt, folding each shirt sleeve upwardly upon itself, folding the lateral parts of the shirt inwardly, each about one longitudinal edge of the form retainer and so that one lateral part overlaps the other, folding the tail portion upwardly about a transverse fold line spaced below the upper edge'of the bosom, a distance substantially double the length of the bosom, causing the upper portion of the form retainer to extend downwardly and 'rearwardly thereby forming a shoulder-retaining flap of the full width of the retainer and which overlaps the rear surfaces of the shoulder portions of the shirt, folding the shirt'upwardly about thelower edge 'ofthe form retainer,providing an elongatebar-of stiff material of a length approximating thewidth of the form retainer, introducing said bar :into the tail-fold of the shirt, and releasably uniting the ends of said bar to the downwardly extending shoulder-retaining flap of the form retainer.

9. That method of mounting a shirt .upon :a form-retainer which comprises as steps spreading the shirt bosom-down upon a suitable support, providing a form retainer of sheet material of a width and length approximating those of theshirt bosom, disposing said form retainer upon the back of the shirt so that its upper edge is adjacent to the shoulder line of the shirt, folding eachshirt sleeve, folding the lateral parts of the shirt inwardly, each about one longitudinal edge of the form retainer and so that one lateral part overlaps the other, folding the tail portion upwardly about a transverse fold line spaced below the upper edge of the bosom a distance substantially double the length of the bosom, providing an elongate stiff bar of sheet material of a length approximating the width of the form retainer, introducing said bar into the tail-fold of-theshirt, bending the upper portion of the form retainer downwardly so as to overlap the rear surfaces-of V the inwardly folded lateral parts of the shirt at the shoulder portion, folding the shirt upwardly about the lower edge'of the form retainer whereby the tail-fold of the shirt overlies the down wardly bent upper portion of the form retainer, and causing the opposite ends of the bar, within the tail-fold, to enter slits near the opposite ends of the downwardly bent portion of the form retainer thereby to secure the folded shirt to the form retainer.

10. That method of folding and mounting :a laundered shirt upon a form-retainer which comprises as steps spreading the shirt bosom-down upon a suitable support, providing a form retainer comprising a piece of stiff sheet materialof' a width and length approximating those I of the shirt bosom, said form retainer having an upwardly and forwardly directed collar positioning tongue and a downwardly and rearwardly directed shoulder-retaining flap of substantially the full width of the form-retainer, disposing said piece of sheet material upon the back of the shirt With its lower edge in substantial registry with the lower end of the shirt bosom, inserting the tongue between the neck-band and top of the shirt collar, folding each sleeve upwardly about a fold lineapproximately at its elbow, folding the lateral parts of the shirt in succession along longitudinal fold lines substantially coincident respectively with the lateral edges of said piece of sheet material so that said in-folded lateral parts of the shirt body overlie said piece of sheet material, causing said shoulder-retaining flap to overlie the rear surfaces of the shoulder portions of said in-folded lateral parts of the shirt body, folding the tail of the shirt upwardly about a transverse fold line, inserting in said tail-fold an elongate bar of stiff material with the ends of said bar exposed, folding the shirt body about a transverse line substantially coincident with the lower edgeof said piece of sheet material, thereby to bring said bar into registry with the shoulder-retaining flap, and releasably uniting the ends of the bar to the opposite end portions of said flap.

.JOHN W. KENNEDY. 

